he served in italy and there lost an arm to a german grenade, leading a battle that won him the medal of honor. >> everything became a bit crazy. bullets flying all over the place, and my arm flew off. i looked for the grenade because i knew it was in my hand, and there it was still clutched. and i peeled it off and threw it at the enemy. >> reporter: inouye was elected to the u.s. house of representatives in 1959. the same year hawaii became a state. he won a seat in the senate three years later where he served 8 1/2 terms. >> he was a man who, as we all know, rarely called attention to himself, but who lived a remarkable american life filled with dignity and grace of the true hero that he was. >> reporter: he gained notoriety when he served on the senate committee looking into the watergate scandal. the probe ultimately led to president nixon's resignation. in a statement, president obama said, "our country has lost a true american hero." cbs news, los angeles. >>> congressman tim scott has been appointed to fill the south carolina senate seat vacated by jim demint. scott will be th